Fluorescent lighting fixture



Dec. 9, 1947. P. J. PARLATO FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2o 2/ 22 gsag ,23

1947. P. J. PARLATO' 2,432,334

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

, A TTORNEV A Patented Dec. 9, 1947 auam rwonascau'rmom-mo mxruau Peter J. Parlato, Harrington Par-LN. 1., assignor to Parco Lighting Equipment 00., Inc., New llork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 10, 1945, Serial No. 537,594

My present invention relates to fixtures for fluorescent lights and more particularly to a novel base or channel support for a fluorescent light wherein a housing is provided integral with thebase or support for the ballast or resistance wire commonly necessary in fluorescent lighting circuits.

Heretofore in the construction and operation of fluorescent lighting fixtures, it has been common to provide a resistance or other form of ballast for the fixture in a separate housing or container which was separately wired and independently secured to the principal housing of the fixture.

My novel device contemplates a stand, base or support for a fluorescent light fixture wherein the said stand, base or support will be made entirely or substantially of insulating material, preferably of a porcelain or other ceramic material and will be integrally molded in a support and housing I for the resistance wire or other form otballast.

My invention further contemplates novel special housings and supports for a resistance wire or other form of ballast for a fluorescent lighting fixture.

The foregoing and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective partially broken away of my novel fluorescent lighting fixture stand, base or support.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the member of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of a modified form of insulating resistance wire support.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the cap member of Figure 4 taken from line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an end view of the cap member of Figure 5 taken from line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is a bottom view of the cap member of Figures 4, 5 and 6 taken from line 1-1 of Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a view in perspective of a portion of the cap member of Figures 4, 5, 6 and '7.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, I have here shown a fluorescent light fixture lamp stand, base or support It formed of insulating material, preferably porcelain or other ceramic material, molded into shape. The member l0 comprises a top wall front and back walls l2 and i3 respectively and side walls M, M.

The lower edge of each of the walls l2, l3 and 3 Claims. (CL 201-84) I4 is recessed at i5, I! to providefor ventilation beneath the bottom oi the base ill. The walls i2, 13 and I4 serve to-space the undersurtace oi the top wall H from the surface on which the stand rests.

The top wall I I may have formed therein a recess to accommodate pencils, pens and the like, although obviously this is not essential but adds to the appearance of the device.

The undersuriace of the top wall II has a substantially rectangular bulge 20 therein which is provided with a recess 2| for a resistance wire.

As seen in Figure 2, this recess may be a continuous recess contained entirely within the bulge 20 and extending from the larger recess 22 in a sinusoidal member around to the other larger recess 23. The bulge 20 may be formed in various different ways in order to provide a, continuous path for the resistance wire. Where the top wall ii is sufllciently thick, then the bulge 20 is not necessary, and the recess 2| may be formed pressed or molded right into the undersurface of the top wall The resistance wire mounted in the recess 2|. may be connected to suitable connecting elements indicated at 25, 26 in the larger recesses 22, 23. After the resistance wire is mounted in the recess -2| and connected to, the connecting elements 2!,

28, a covering member 30 of ceramic material may be mounted over the recess 2|, the said covering member 30' having a recess exactly matching the recess 2| and thus confining theresistance wire within the recess 2|.

The covering member 30 may be secured in any suitable manner as, for instance, by screws or bolts entering the threaded openings 32, 32 in the bulge 20. It will be obvious, of course, that where the recess 2| is sufllciently deep, then the covering member 30 need have no special formation on the interior surface thereof but need only be a flat plane structure, smooth on both sides.

A suitable opening 35 in theback wall l3 may be provided for the connecting cord 86 which will connect the fixture to a suitable source; the wires from cord 36 are connected through'the ballast supported in recess 2|, and the on-ofl switch til.

to the fluorescent light tube and its starter mem b'er, supported on post 38 in a manner well known in the art.

The top wall II is provided with an opening 31 suitably formed to receive and support a hollow lamp standard 38 through which the wiring may be led up to the fluorescent light bulb.

Where desired, the back wall ii of the base member may be provided with an opening 50 to receive a suitable receptacle for the starter member, commonl used with fluorescent fixtures. It is obvious of course, that any other wall oi the base member ill may be provided with the opening 50 for the support oi the starter receptacle.

By this means, a base standard or support is provided for a fluorescent lighting flxture wherein the resistance or other ballast member is spaced and supported in a portion of the base which is integral with the base.

Obviously, the entire base I with all of the formations required for support of the resistance or other form of ballast and the other elements described may be molded at one time.

In Figures 3 through 8, I have shown a modified form of ballast supporting unit which may be made individually for incorporation in a lighting fixture or which may be extended to form the principal support for the fluorescent light tube.

Essentially, the resistance wire support comprises a rod 60 of insulating material, preferably molded or extruded ceramic material, having a. plurality of longitudinal openings 5!, 5| therethrough. The resistance wire may be passed entirely. through one of the openings 5|, then around the end of the rod as indicated at 62, and into an adjacent opening BI, and then around the opposite end of the rod and through the next opening Hi. The number of longitudinal openings 6| required is determined by the length of the unit 60 and the length of the resistance wire which must be used.

An insulating spacer or cover member 85 is provided concentrically with the rod 60 and is secured to the rod 60 and spaced therefrom by the flange members 61.

In the preferred form, the entire unit consisting of rod 350, the flange member 61 and the outer insulating tubular member 55 is extruded through a single die to form an integral structure.

The tubular member 65 serves as a ceramic housing for the entire unit further insulating the unit; and the air spaces formed by the flanges 61 and the tubing 65 provide an effective heat insulation in combination with the insulating material of the tubing 65.

Each end of the rod 60 is provided with a tapped opening 10, 18 to receive the screw H which supports the cap 12 in position. The cap 12, it will be noted, is so arranged that it covers the exposed ends of the rod 60 on each side while the cap itself is hollowed out, so that no pressure is exerted on the connecting portions 62 of the resistance wire across the end faces of the rod 60.

As seen in Figures 4 through 8, the cap 12 comprises a substantially circular member having an annular flange 73 projecting from a circular base 14. The inner diameter of the annular flange 13 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the rod 60 so that the flange 13 may encase the end of the rod 60. The outer tubular member 65 is cut back slightly at 17 to permit the annular flange 13 to encase the end of the rod.

In an alternate and obvious modification, only the flange members 65 need be cut back for this purpose.

. The center of the circular portion H of the cover member is provided with a circular boss 80 having an opening 8| which, when the cap is in position, registers with the tapped opening H1 in the end of the rod 60. The screw 1!, passing through the opening 8| of the boss 80 and into the tapped opening of the rod, secures the cap in position.

Each of the ends of the rod- 50 may be provided with one or more slots 83 to receive email inward radial extensions 82 or the annular flange II as the cap is moved into position on the end or the rod 80. In this way, the cap 12 is locked against any rotation which would tend to loosen the screw H, and the angular position of the cap with respect to the rod is predetermined.

The cap is, of course, preferably made 0! ceramic material similar to that of which the rod 60 and its tubular housing member 65 is made. The cap 12 is secured in any suitable manner to a base member 85 (shown in perspective in Figure 8 and in the bottom view of Figure 7).

As shown in Figures 4 and 5; the annular flange i3 is recessed at 86 so that the inner surface 81 of the foot member 85 may be substantially flush with the surface of the annular flange 13. The said inner surface 81 is slightly recessed, however, so that it may engage the lower portion of the end surface of rod 60. Surface 81 of the base member 85 is provided with a half tubular slot 89 to provide a wire-way to lead out the end of the resistance wire mounted in the rod 80. The lower supporting portion 90 01' the member 85 is provided with a half tubular slot 9! communicating with the slot 89. Slots 89 and 9| thus provide a wireway for the wire which may be led out between the supporting extensions 93 of the base member 85.

Extensions 93 of the base member 85 are sumciently long to provide an efiicient support for the entire unit and efiicient means for securing the unit where desired. Obviously, a similar cap member 12 with its associated support or foot 85 is mounted at either end of the unit 6065.

In preparing the unit. the wire is threaded through the openings 6|, as previously pointed out, and the wire end on each side is pulled down into position where it will register with the slot 89 in the surface 81 of the foot member carried by the cap 12. The cap is mounted in position with the wire end extending through the slot 89 and then the wire end is bent at right angles up into the slot 9i and out between the extensions 83.

The unit, as above set forth, may be provided as a simple resistor unit for incorporation in a lighting fixture. Thus, the unit 60-85 with its caps may be utilized in place of the bulge 20 and wire-way 2! of the base member of Figures 1 and 2. Unit 60-45 may, however, be extended to have a sufilcient length to form a supporting structure for the fluorescent light bulb itself. Thus, for instance, unit 80-85 may be utilized in place of the standard 38 of Figures 1 and 2 or the unit 6065 may be made sufficiently long to act in place of the housing which supports the fluorescent light tube. In this latter case, the cap member may be modified to carry appropriate socket members and the starter unit may be mounted in any suitable position either in a receptacle carried by the outer tube 65 or in the cap member.

While the unit 6065 is shown as of circular cross section, it may obviously be made of square cross section with the rod 60 square and the tube 65 square, or of hexagonal cross section, or of any other appropriate cross section; and it will be obvious of course that the tube 65 may have a cross section which need not necessarily correspond to the cross section of the rod 60. That is, the tube 65 may have a hexagonal square or other cross section of pleasing or decorative appearance, while the rod 60 may be circular or of diirerent cross section.

In the foregoing, I have described my invention only in connection with preferred specific embodiments thereof. Since many variations and modifications of my invention should now be obvious to those skilled in the art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosures herein set forth but only by the appended claims;

I claim:

1. A base for a fluorescent li hting fixture, said base being formed of insulating material, said base having a substantially plane supporting surface and means for spacing the undersurface of said supporting surface above any support on which said base may rest; means on the undersurface of said supporting surface for supporting a resistance wire; said last mentioned resistance wire supporting means being integral with the undersurface of said supporting surface; and comprising an extension from said undersurface of said supporting surface; said extension having a recess therein for confining the resistance wire.

2. A base for a fluorescent lighting fixture, said base being formed of insulating material, said base having a substantially plane supporting surface and means for spacing the undersurface of said supporting surface above any support on which said base may rest; means on the undersurface of said supporting surface for supporting a resistance wire; said last mentioned resistance 30 1,550,100

wire supporting means being integral with the undersurface of said supporting surface and comprising an extension from said undersurface of said supporting surface; said extension having a recess therein for confining the resistance wire; 35 2,379,408

6 and a cover plate of insulating material secured to said extension over said recess and enclosing said resistance wire.

3. A base for a fluorescent lighting fixture, said base being formed of insulating material, said base having a substantially plane supporting surface and means for spacing the und'ersurface of said supporting surface above any support on which said base may rest; means on the undersurface of said supporting surface for supporting a resistance wire; said supporting means for said resistance wire comprising a recess in the undersurface of said supporting surface, and a cover plate of insulating material secured to said undersurface of said supporting surface over said recess and confining the resistance wire within said recess; said cover plate having a recess in its upper surface register with the recess in the undersurface of said supporting surface.

PETER J. PARLATO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 874,023 McElr-oy Dec. 17, 1907 Scharf Aug. 18, 1925 1,866,097 Gaetje et a1. July 5, 1932 2,069,348 Young Feb. 2, 1937 2,179,934 Jones Nov. 14, 1939 2,198,770 Goodrich Apr. 30, 1940 Crosby et a1. Mar. 26, 1916 

